Revision THR Nanamac's Story.....the Beginning (Part 1)

[pctcoach]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Janet, hooray for hope! I hold it strongly for you, and my optimism is unbounded that you are now on the downhill side of the journey. Your attitude is inspiring.

And bill quit smoking!!! Wow!!! Bravo to both of you.

 

[Jaycey]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

I am so happy things are starting to fall into place for you Janet! You have been there and back. Here's hoping thing keep on track!

 

[nanamac]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Thanks everyone. HOPE :yes 4:!

Bill may have to die alone...:hissyfit:...:th_heehee:

 

[tahoe1009]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Physical therapy... both dreaded and loved by "hippies" the world over!! And Physical Therapists... they are a fabled creature (like the unicorn)!! Seriously, PT is a wonderful thing if it is done correctly by a caring individual. Because of the extent of my original accident (motorcycle Vs. Honda Civic -- Civic won!!) I had some serious physical therapy over the years!! I found that having the right therapist makes all the difference!

After the accident in 1994 I spent 6 months in a rehabilitation hospital associated with one of the best teaching hospitals in the western U.S. So, I got very acquainted with the different methods of PT. My right hip had been pieced back together from some 28 pieces and the left from 17. Left knee had been broken, left ankle, left wrist, pelvis/spine separation, the works... Needless to say, I was a PT mess!! Started with parallel bars in a pool and lots of physical manipulation to loosen all the rigid muscles (and resultant scar tissue). Progressed up to bikes and treadmills and the like. I swear that Physical Therapists have to have a sadistic demeanor to do their job day in and day out. It sure seems like it with the pain they inflict!!

So, I had lots of different therapists over that time and everyone of them was completely different in their approach. Your therapist has so much to do with your outcomes (I am convinced!!) I also had a horrible head injury in connection to this accident and had to learn literally to speak again! Bottom line is that therapy is what makes the surgeon look good. I have had therapist though that would just stick you on a bike and walk off (if I wanted to go to the gym I would have).

It sounds like you have a great PT experience going on here and I hope that you get all the benefit you can from it!! When I had my RTHA in 2009 I had a great Physical Therapist in my recovery. Sad deal is he just moved back to Idaho where he is from last month. This makes me sad because I need to have the left hip done and I'm pretty sure a revision of the right is coming soon too. Hopefully I can find one that will be as good. Hang in there and the next time you are at therapy and they are hurting you or pushing really hard and you question doing the surgery in the first place... that you can look at the therapist and picture them as a unicorn (because Tahoe said something about that in that post one time) and laugh and know that there is hope!!!

Happy recovery!!

 

[nanamac]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Awww...thanks Tahoe! Yup, I sure know the difference between a good one and a not so good one. I won't say bad, just better or worse. My first was good, just not for what I needed this time around.

I used her off and on for various problems over the years and she's been excellent. This time though, not so much. She was one to stick me on a bike to kill time, and I have no endureance so it was torture.

She NEVER did any hands on stuff, just machines all the time. Vj is just the opposite.

He starts with the hydrocollator, then massage, then exercises, then the recumbent bike, then TENS with hydrocollator. By the time we are done, OMG! I have had a total body workout.

But, it is loosening up those tight as can be muscles. Just a totally different approach. And a lot of positive affirmation. My other called me pathetic!

 

[tahoe1009]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

I'm glad that you are getting what you need from your current PT. As for the previous one that had the audacity to call you pathetic... I think that I would report that to the PT board in your area. That is far beyond acceptable.
I have experienced some variations on the theme let me tell you, but that is over the top! MA is the medical capital of the U.S for sure so your local board probably wouldn't take kindly to that.
As for PT that sick you on the machines and bail off to do something else... that is such a waste of your time and recovery. The bad part is that we go to these people very trusting, they are the professionals we tell ourselves, but as experience has taught me sometimes we have to be our own medical advocate!! Nobody cares about your healthcare like you do!! The bottom line is that these people ultimately work for us, and sometimes we have to stand up for ourselves!
I am so glad that your experience this time is a good one. Thank you for your support and I hope that you continue to have great results!

 

[nanamac]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Well, in all fairness, she really wasn't saying I was pathetic. She was referring to my physical state. We had such a history that I knew where she was coming from. More like, "that's pathetic"! Not "you're pathetic".

But, VJ uses the opposite approach, praising what I can do and not criticising what I can't. Offering more affirmation than negativity.

 

[tahoe1009]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Oh I see... Positive attitude does so much for us. Doesn't it?? I have found that whatever I focus on gets bigger... If I focus on the problem it gets bigger, but when I focus on the solution it too gets bigger. I chose to focus on solutions today!!

 

[nanamac]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

There ya go!

 

[nanamac]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Well, another update here...I ended up stopping the pt as not only was I not getting stronger, I was losing the ability to have any endurance at all.

I am just not capable of anything strenuous, even in small amounts, and I think it is because of the mis-placement of my stem.


Anyway, I wrote this in the Bonesmartie Club and figured I'd put it here as well...


I can't change my situation but I can change my attitude. This is not the outcome I expected, but hey, it's not going to kill me.


That being said, I'm certainly not happy about all this, but it's not life threatening, just disappointing and painful, most of the time. I will still be searching for answers for pain management, but for now, it is what it is.

I can choose to moan and groan about this or I can deal with it and get on with life.


I'm starting to get the ol' familiar OA feelings in my left hip now, so when the time comes, I will have the surgery done for that one. Even with all that I've been through, the odds of something bad happeneing, like a fracture that I ended up with, are VERY rare.


So, after the next surgery, and I expect that one to be totally successful, I will consider having another revision on my "bad" hip. Even with all of this, I know from everyone's successful surgeries that the odds are it will be just fine.


If anyone out there has doubts about having this surgery, it beats the alternative every time. I am a very young at heart 60 year old, and I do plan on chasing my grandkids for a long time yet. I'm just on hold for the moment.


Just do it! Odds are you will be just fine too like the large majority of THR patients.

Anyway, that's my latest. Thanks for bearing with me thru all of this. Sometimes I just need to step out of the situation and have a look from the outside. Time to move on.

 

[sharonslp]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Oh Janet!! I hope you can feel the hug that I'm sending. Perspective is so important, and obviously you are developing a healthy perspective about your options. But being positive about waiting to see those options through is incredibly difficult. I have a cadre of impressive people who are my role models for how I want to conduct my life. You have joined them.

Be well, friend.

Sharon

 

[Renate]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Oh Nana, group hug indeed! I know you have had difficulties after your surgery and new pt. But what does the surgeon say? Do you need a revision, or are you supposed to live with that? My thoughts are with you.

 

[nanamac]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Well, that's just the problem Renate, there are no answers as to what is going on. When there is unexplained pain, such as this, usually as a last resort they do a revision.

I imagine once they are in there they can "see" what is causing the problem. Not common, but it happens. It's just a matter of how much or how long I choose to go thru being like this. This is do-able, just not how I expected to end up.

 

[Joankr]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Oh, Janet, I'm so amazed at your attitude, your determination and resilience! It's no wonder you've helped and inspired so many of us here. I surely hope you get a resolution for your pain -- it's hard to believe the experts have no answer that resolves it. After all, hip replacement in the first place is supposed to relieve pain -- not cause it long-term.

I hold you in my prayers.

Joan

 

[nanamac]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

I figured by going to one of the best hospitals in Boston, that it didn't matter who did my surgery. WRONG! Doctor's have to start somewhere, and for all I know the OS that did my THR may have never done one before. I still don't know as I'm not going back.

I so wish I had found Bone Smart before I had my THR as then I would have known what questions to ask him. All water under the bridge now.

 

[Josephine]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Ah that 'if only' thought to plague your mind in those midnight hours!

 

[nanamac]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Not any more...it did for a lllooonnnggg time after I found this forum.

Dwelling on the past serves no purpose for the future, except to learn from it so as not repeat the mistake. It serves no purpose and won't change anything. Nope, I don't lose sleep over it.

 

[pctcoach]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Janet, there you go, being an inspiration again. Your positive attitude is a model for us all. I so agree that we can't change what's happening, and we sure can choose how we respond/react to it. I have strived to embrace a strong attitude of gratitude the last 25 years, no matter what is happening in my life, and I hear that same core in you. It's a great reminder for us all. You are a trooper and a role model. Thank you!

 

[nanamac]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Thanks Margo, believe me, I have had plenty of whining and tears and bad days. It's not going to change a thing. I got tired of listening to me :th_heehee:...it wasn't going to change my situation.

So, now that I'm taking on a different approach to this, I feel better!

I said my 50's were a bust from the get go, I'm going to change that in my 60's! I do believe better days are coming :wink1:...

And as I said before, I have so much more to be greatful for than to keep dwelling on this. Life is too short.

 

[pctcoach]

Re: I Have Hope...At Last!

Life is too short. May the 60's be fabulous for us both. One of my favorite quotes is, "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside totally worn out and proclaiming, 'Wow, what a ride!'" Our skidding may look a bit differently these days, but I'm sure all for enjoying the ride.